Double Indemnity

By: James M. Cain

Narrated by: James Naughton

Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Tautly narrated and excruciatingly suspenseful, Double Indemnity gives us an X-ray view of guilt, of duplicity, and of the kind of obsessive, loveless love that devastates everything it touches. First published in 1936, this novel reaffirmed James M. Cain as a virtuoso of the roman noir.

©1936 James M. Cain (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

James M Cain

I just love this old noir film. I found this highly rated film a very good version in the narrated audible book.

Complicated, thorough and surprising.

Classic, I was referred to by a fan, that did not disappoint. The narration was excellent adding an atmosphere that made the story that much more involving and enjoyable.

A classic

liked the hard boiled edge... plot twist was great. now want to see movie for sure I will

Brilliant!

This was a brilliant story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The fact reader too was really good and kept to an even pace that made listening a pleasure.

Noir classic

The source for a classic film, this short novel holds up well. Excellent narration !

Cain, still the crime master!

Double Indemnity; when Cain is good, he is brilliant. Who else writes crime like this-sudden and gripping? Not word that doesn't drive the story forward with a you-are-thereness few writers can rival. Crime in Cain's novel is like an impulsive, illicit passion, when it's done, the partners separate in mutual disaffection. The intricate insurance scam and murder plot is masterful. Cain's style is odd yet apt and he can write dialogue with the real rhythm of speech and remarkably, Cain's language doesn't feel dated. I found that the terse, controlled tone of the narrator, James Naughton, exactly suited Walter Huff, telling us just how it was, his nightmare venture into crime.

And Audible, bring us MORE of the fabulous James M. Cain!

a solid listen

Classic book from which the "film noir" of the same name is based. This is a story of seedy seduction, double dealing and intrigue leading to ultimate doom. Film ends quite a bit differently from the book, but bottom line is that these two main characters really deserve each other. This is a good presentation, capably read. I found it quite an entertaining listen and give it a solid recommendation.

Intriguing Trip To The Past Ways of Corruption

Voice overs were great, music suited genre and age, progression was solid. Very terse and compact, no wasted language.

very enjoyable

Better than movie

I’ve watched and enjoyed the movie with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwick. Usually bad books make good movies. I didn’t expect a 3 hour audiobook to be so much more complex than a 2 hour movie, but it was. To weave such a complex tale into such a short, tight narrative takes skill few authors other than Cain and Hemingway possess.

Another Classic

Cain is always good. And this is deservedly a noir classic. Like Postman, excellent and a lot accomplished in a short novel. Many writers could learn from his lean style.